Boise, Idaho, Capital City. A report to the Boise Planning and Development Committee, Inc.

BOISE, IDAHO
CAPITAL CITY
AN URBAN LAND INSTITUTE PANEL STUDY REPORT
TO THE BOISE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
BOISE
Boise Idaho
CAPITAL CITY)
"Let us in this our day and generation
perform something worthy to be remembered."
Daniel Webster
A REPORT
TO THE BOISE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, Inc.
BY A PANEL OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE
1200 18th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036
1966
Main Street Needs Modernizing
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD. . . . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . • . • • • • . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL . . • . • . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . 9
RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF 13
GUIDE LINES FOR BOISE
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A NEW SETTING FOR THE CAPITOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . 19
CONVENTION CENTER - AN ECONOMIC SPARKPLUG 25
TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING 29
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RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . • . • . 31
NEW DOLLARS FOR BOISE - THE VISITOR INDUSTRY . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . 35
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BOISE COLLEGE - KEY FACTOR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 37
FINANCING COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT 39
GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 41
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FOREWORD
At the invitation of the Boise Planning and Development Committee, a panel of
the Urban Land Institute visited Boise, October 17-21, 1965, to review development
proposals for the center of Idaho's Capital City.
Members of the panel presented recommendations in a public meeting at the con­clusion
of their stay. This report forms a permanent record of the panel's proposals.
It is hoped that this review of Boise's preliminary development program for the central
city will help business, governmental and civic leaders achieve the necessary consensus
to take action that will strengthen the entire community.
Panel studies are conducted by the three Councils of the Institute ---Central City,
Community Builders and Industrial. The Boise study was the 57th since the panel service
was initiated in 1947. It was the 25th concerned primarily with development of the
central city.
Members of the panel were selected on the basis of their extensive experience in
problems relevant to Boise. Four members of the panel were drawn from the Central
City Council. Two members were chosen from the Community Builders Council.
Panel members donate their services to the Institute. The sponsor's contribu­tion
supports ULI research, educational activity and the J. C. Nichols Foundation
scholarship.
The panel study service is a direct action phase of ULI's broad program to improve
the standards and techniques of urban land development .
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A Modern Office Building
A Handsome Rehabi I itation
SIGNS OF
NEW LIFE
DOWNTOWN
Tree Plantings on the Street
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The panel wishes to acknowledge the outstanding work done by the Boise Planning
and Development Committee in the preliminary phase of formulating a development
plan and program for central Boise. Under the leadership of Arthur Oppenheimer, Jr.,
president, the Committee has done a remarkable job of involving community leaders in
the planning of a better Boise.
Special recognition is due the Committee's Architects, Engineers, and Planners
Task Force, under the leadership of Charles Hummel and Earl Reynolds, Jr., for its
work in developing land use concepts reviewed by the panel.
Members of the panel wish also to commend the Planning and Development
Committee's consulting firm, Ernst & Ernst; Marcel Learned, partner; Gilbert McCoy,
director of economic development; and Jack Montgomery, manager, for the comprehen­sive
work in coordinating the Boise program.
Further, thanks also are due the many city, county and state officials, business
leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, community organizations and citizens who coop­erated
so generously with the panel throughout the study.
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SIGNS
OF NEGLECT
Broken Curb
Grassy Sidewalks
Alley Litter
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PANEL MEMBERS
Newton C. Farr, Chicago, Chairman of the Panel
Mr. Farr is a former president of the Urban Land Institute. He is a consultant
to the real estate firm of Farr, Chinnock and Sampson in Chicago. Mr. Farr is president
of the American Chapter, International Real Estate Federation. He is a past president
of the National Association of Real Estate Boards. Mr. Farr was a pioneer in Chicago's
urban rebuilding activities. He is a past president of the American Society of Real
Estate counselors.
Robert T. Nahas, Oakland
Mr. Nahas is president of the Urban Land Institute and head of his own land
development firm, the Robert T. Nahas Company. He has developed shopping centers,
apartments and industrial properties in Northern California. Mr. Nahas is president
of Coliseum, Inc., the non-profit organization developing Oakland's new stadium and
arena complex .
William S. Ballard, Boston
Mr. Ballard is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute and an Executive Group
member of the Central City Council. He is a real estate consultant and appraiser.
A specialist in urban renewal, Mr. Ballard has conducted land use and marketability
studies, re-use appraisals and special surveys in more than 50 cities in eight states.
He is a former president of the New England Chapters of the American Institute of Real
Estate Appraisers and the Society of Industrial Realtors.
John W. Combs, Willowdale, Ontario
Mr. Combs is an Executive Group member of ULI's Central City Council. He
heads John W. Combs, Ltd., a firm of market research, planning and development
consultants. In 1955, Mr. Combs was retained by the Argus Corporation for the devel­opment
of the Greater Hamilton Shopping Center, largest in the British Empire at the
time it was built.
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James B. Douglas, Seattle
Mr. Douglas is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute and Executive Group member
of the Community Builders Council. As president of Northgate Centers, Inc., he
operates Northgate, one of the leading shopping centers in the far west. Mr. Douglas
was vice president and director for the Seattle Century 21 World's Fair Corporation
in charge of design and construction of the 1962 World's Fair.
F. Lawrence Dow, Hartford
Mr. Dow is vice chairman of the Central City Council, Urban Land Institute.
He heads the real estate firm of Dow and Condon. A specialist in commercial and
industrial brokerage, appraising and property management, he is also engaged in
consulting work for various firms in the Hartford area. Mr. Dow has served as
president of the New England Chapters, Institute of Real Estate Management and
Society of Industrial Realtors.
ULI Staff for the Boise Panel Study
Mechlin D. Moore, Director of Information
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NMOlNMOa ~3llnl:::> SN~IS
BOISE, IDAHO
Core Area Development Proposals
Action Area B
Action Area C · m Action Area D
---- Core Area
~ Ring Road
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RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF
1. A coordinated program to improve highway accessibility, provide large,
convenient parking areas, and undertake extensive new construction is needed to
stimulate central Boise as the community's primary activity center. These improve­ments
should be concentrated within an established core area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 3rd Street, Franklin Street and 12th Street. Planning control should cover
all development within this area to assure functional and harmonious land use rela­tionships
throughout the Capitol District.
2. A ring road should be established to collect and distribute traffic within the
Downtown area. This can be done by creating a one-way traffic pattern in a counter­clockwise
direction on Front, 6th, State and 8th.
3. Capitol Boulevard should be improved to provide a new, ceremonial entrance
to Idaho's Capitol. With congestion removed from Front to State, Capitol Boulevard
can be enhanced by landscape design to provide a proper showcase for the seat of
state government.
4. Action Area A Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 6th Street, Bannock Street and 8th Street to create the ring road, redesign
Capitol Boulevard as a ceremonial entrance, provide a large parking area visible to
motorists entering the City and make sites available for new construction flanking the
revitalized Boulevard.
5. ActionArea B- Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad tracks,
8th Street, Bannock Street and lOth Street to improve the retail heart of the community.
Treatment in the northern four- block sector would be concentrated on improvement of
existing structures, with redevelopment for new parking and retail uses concentrated
in the southern four- block sector.
6. Action Area C - Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 4th Street, Bannock Street and 6th Street to continue the uses recommended for
the area bordering the east side of Capitol Boulevard and to create a superblock as a
site for the proposed cultural and convention center.
7. Action Area D- Action is proposed in the area bounded by Bannock Street,
4th Street, Washington Street and 8th Street to develop needed sites for expansion of
governmental offices without disrupting appropriate existing uses.
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8. Official coordination between city, county and state planning · agencies is
needed for the most practical planning of new buildings in the Capitol Districts.
9. The auditorium-convention-cultural center with supporting parking areas
should be given high priority for development on a site of approximately 15 acres in
Action Area C in prominent view of Capitol Boulevard. The auditorium should contain
2,500 fixed seats and be designed acoustically for musical performances as well as
other cultural activities. An area could be set aside in the building for display of art
work. Convention facilities should include a large, level floor for exhibits plus meeting
rooms.
10. Surface parking should be provided in Action Area C with provisions made for
conversion to multi-story parking garages as parts of the area are developed for
purposes such as a new state historical museum, library, city hall and police head­quarters.
11. In view of the fact that the auditorium will serve a relatively wide region,
the auditorium-convention center should be financed through an expanded auditorium
district and bond issue, or other means such as a lease-purchase plan, that would
enable areas outside the City limits to make contributions to the cost proportionate
to the benefits which they may be expected to receive.
12. A connecting road to the couplet system (Front east, Grove west) should be
extended to the east beyond 5th Street to improve traffic flow.
13. Long range planning should include an alternate river route to move traffic
around the downtown core. The alternate route should be designed to create a green
belt which will further enhance Boise's excellent park system.
14. Parking proposed in the preliminary plan for the retail core appears adequate
and to the greatest degree possible should be developed at street level for maximum
shopper appeal. Where garages prove necessary they should be limited to two stories
plus roof space.
15. Municipally owned parking lots or garages which may be developed should be
leased to private operators on a competitive bid basis.
16. There does not appear to be any present need for complete elimination of
curbside parking in the core area.
17. Downtown redevelopment in Boise should provide the necessary space for
potential expansion of major retail outlets.
18. A strong, downtown merchants association should be formed with a full-time
staff and an adequate budget to carry out an aggressive promotional program on a
basis similar to the advertising and promotion campaigns conducted by regional
shopping centers.
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19. Following a technical study of the potential user demand for modern, public
transportation in Boise, action should be taken to establish the bus system on a per­manent
basis that will enable improvement in facilities and services.
20. There does not appear to be any present need for a mall in Boise's retail -
core. Further, the necessary closing of streets to create a mall would aggravate
traffic problems.
21. Boise should take far greater advantage of its location at the gateway to a
mountain vacation land in a stepped-up program of visitor promotion through estab­lishment
of an annual event that would attract tourists from throughout the west.
22. A civic organization should be established in cooperation with the Chamber
of Commerce to plan, promote and direct the program for the Boise tourist event.
23. A program of coordinated store-front modernization should be undertaken
without delay. A harmonious plan for a whole block should be drawn up by a design
consultant who will create individual signs which blend with each other.
24. Economic growth of the Boise area can be accelerated by increased invest­ment
in higher education. The panel proposes rapid development of Boise College
into a University with graduate schools of agriculture, business, engineering, forestry,
law and medicine.
25. It is time for the city to draw up a long-range capital improvement program
that will cover needs, priorities and financial resources. Only in this way can the
Boise development program be carried forward on an orderly basis.
26. The city should be prepared to increase bonded indebtedness significantly
as an investment in the community development program. The prudent management
of city finances in past years enables this action to be taken with ease and confidence.
27. Federal cooperation under the urban renewal program should be sought
to implement the redevelopment of deteriorating areas in the central core.
28. A regional planning program should be established with city-county cooperation
so that annexation may be timed in coordination with a capital improvements program
to provide urban services in developing areas.
29. The Boise Planning and Development Committee should be placed on a
permanent basis to function as a citizen leadership and advisory organization in
planning community improvement activities.
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COMPETITION FOR DOWNTOWN
GUIDELINES FOR BOISE
Boise has reached a critical turning point in its growth. Establishment of a broad
development policy now can increase the potential for an expanding economic base to
support a richer life for a growing population.
Without an action program based on a comprehensive plan, the community could
well lose opportunities to progressive centers in other parts of the region. This is a time
of challenge for Idaho's Capital City.
• Governmental activities are growing. This creates an urgent need to coordinate
plans for the physical development of the district E!Urrounding the capital. Regular
consultation between the city, county, state and federal governments at the technical and
policy levels is essential to achieve functional and harmonious land use relationships
in this vital section of the community.
Economic Development Needed
• A narrow economic base has been a factor in the relatively slow development of
Boise. Relying upon state government, retail trade and agriculture, the city's growth
has been gradual. New opportunities for economic development must be generated if
the city is to maintain and enhance its position as a regional center.
• Downtown Boise can no longer rest on its laurels as the major retail center
between Spokane and Salt Lake City. Unless far reaching steps are taken, a regional
shopping center may be expected to develop along the new interstate highway outside
the City. There is no sure way to prevent this. However, if a dramatic improvement pro­gram
is undertaken without delay in Boise's core area, there are sound reasons to
believe that the city can retain its commanding position in the struggle for the retail
dollar.
• Accessibility to the core area of the City and ease of circulation within this area
must be improved if a growing community is to be served.
• Development of Boise's urban fringe must not be allowed to proliferate in
haphazard patterns that make it increasingly difficult to provide the public services
which residents expect.
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Diversify and Modernize
These are some of the important challenges which face the community. Fortunately,
decision makers in the City area are aware of the need for action and committed to
creation of a blueprint for a new, more diversified, more modern Boise - a community
that will attract people of high skill and purpose who want to live in a vital center at
the gateway to a prime recreation area.
It was this objective which led to creation of the Boise Planning and Development
Committee by business, civic and governmental leaders. Elements of the plan have been
emerging from the Committee's Task Forces during the past year. More are on the
drawing boards.
It was the assignment of this panel to review the preliminary plans of the Com­mittee
in the light of experience elsewhere, to evaluate proposed courses of action
under consideration by the Committee, and to suggest new or alternative approaches
to the various problems where deemed appropriate.
Technical Studies
For technical studies and data, the panel has relied upon the Committee and its
consultants, the planning agencies of local government and the Chamber of Commerce.
During a field study in Boise, the panel made extensive investigations of the areas
concerned and conferred at length with a wide range of community leaders and technical
experts in the various aspects of the development program. Community leaders and
technical experts participated in thorough briefing sessions during the panel study. At
the end of the visit, the panel presented recommendations at a public report session
sponsored by the Boise Planning and Development Committee.
It is hoped that the conclusions and recommendations of the panel will help guide
policy makers in the creation of guidelines for Boise. The panel is convinced that
the Boise Planning and Development Committee has established a strong framework for
the construction of a program that can achieve the necessary consensus to rise to the
challenge of new growth opportunities and pressing problems.
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A NEW SETTING FOR THE CAPITOL
A positive development program should begin with recognition of a community's
assets. The negative approach of seeking palliatives for obvious community ills will
not achieve lasting results.
Boise has many assets. Tree-lined streets define inviting neighborhoods of
attractive homes. Recreational opportunities abound. Business serves an unusually broad
trade area. Cultural and educational facilities are increasing.
However, of all the City's assets its position as the seat of state government is
the best suited to become the foundation for a community development program. The
Capitol is a major civic feature at the center of the City. It is an important anchor for
governmental, office and retail services. The Capitol is the keystone of Boise's core
area and the focal point of civic pride.
If the Capitol is engulfed in congestion causing a dispersion of state offices, the
community will suffer. If the approaches to the Capitol are flanked by creeping blight,
the community will suffer. If the retail area adjacent to the Capitol is strangled by
inability to acquire sites for modernization and expansion, the community will suffer.
New Dignity for the State Capitol
On the other hand, if a comprehensive planning program is adopted to enlarge
and enhance the governmental complex in open green surroundings, the Capitol will
achieve new dignity, and opportunities will be created for neighboring private invest­ment.
If blight is attacked along the approach to the Capitol, a renewed ceremonial
entry can be created to draw people into the heart of the City. If a redevelopment
program is carried out to give Boise's core the qualities of a modern, suburban
shopping center, retail business should continue to be anchored downtown.
All of these actions and more can be encompassed in a program to provide a new
setting for the Capitol of Idaho. Utilizing the Capitol as a prime community asset,
central Boise can retain its vitality and become an increasingly important center for
governmental, financial, professional, office, retail, tourist, convention, cultural and
entertainment activities.
In order to determine the necessary steps to revitalize the Capitol area, it is
necessary to examine existing conditions.
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Downtown Boise is sick. The economic health of Downtown Boise is a valid
concern of the whole community. Without action now, competition could well finish off
Downtown Boise as a major retail trade center when the interstate highway is completed.
This would erode property values and cut tax revenues with a resulting detrimental
effect upon the entire City.
Pressures for Change
Boise is subject to many of the same pressures for change which exist in other
cities. There is the pressure created by public demand for ease of access to shopping
areas, employment centers and governmental services. Traffic congestion, inconvenient
parking facilities and poor public transportation discourage employes and shoppers.
Mobility of the customer's dollar in a society on wheels creates additional pressure
for change. This combines with competition of the new to exert intense pressure on old,
tired Downtown sections. The pressure is intensified by growth in household income.
The increasingly affluent shopper can and should drive her car to the center with the
most interesting merchandise in the most modern setting with the most convenient
parking.
This means there is a pressure for new construction in any downtown area which
hopes to retain its influence as a business center against the threat of decentralization.
New buildings alone will not do the job. They must be designed with aesthetic appeal and
provided with front door parking visible to the approaching customer.
If Downtown Boise is to maintain its position and develop the new potential to be
created by improvements in the Capitol district, it will be necessary to respond to these
pressures for change. The basic needs of Boise's central business district are improved
highway accessibility, large parking areas contiguous to the retail core and extensive new
construction of modern retail facilities.
What are some of the specific problems and opportunities considered by the panel
in Boise's core area For purposes of practical planning, this area is defined by the
railroad tracks, 3rd Street, Franklin Street and 12th Street. Its focal point is the state
Capitol. Planning control should cover all development within this area to assure func­tional
and harmonious land use relationships throughout the Capitol district.
A Sorry Approach to the Capitol
Confused traffic patterns and a sorry approach to the Capitol were two of the most
striking problems observed by the panel. With the couplet of one way streets (Front east,
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Grove west), relatively speedy and convenient approach and departure corridors have
been established. However, there will be an increasing need for a better means of
distributing the traffic upon arrival in the core.
This suggests an opportunity for a ring road that will collect and circulate traffic
within the Downtown sector. This may be established with ease on existing streets by
creating a one-way traffic pattern in a counter-clockwise direction on Front, 6th, State
and 8th.
The ring road will relieve Capitol Boulevard north of Front, thereby opening an
opportunity for a ceremonial entrance to the Capitol of Idaho. This entrance would be
created by improvements to Capitol Boulevard from the railroad tracks to the Capitol.
A cluttered approach marred by blighted property detracts from the stately
atmosphere which should surround the seat of government. There is no green carpeted
mall as in Sacramento or fountained plaza as in San Francisco, to provide a setting
for the chief governmental building.
Ceremonial Entry to the Capitol
The improvement of Capitol Boulevard as a ceremonial entry is central to the
improvement of Boise's core area. Traffic need not be removed entirely from Front to
the Capitol grounds, but the Boulevard should be enhanced by landscape design to provide
a proper showcase. Park-like elements could be introduced within the public right-of-way
to create the new approach.
Enhancement of this area would provide a rallying point for civic pride. It would
make the City more attractive as a visitor center and create incentives for tax-paying
investment nearby.
In the opinion of the panel, the major objective of the central area improvement
program should be a new setting for the Capitol. This would create surrounding economic
benefits that would strengthen the whole City. Fundamental steps in the program are
planning control throughout the defined core area, the ring collector, and the ceremonial
entrance.
Within this framework, four action areas have been delineated. Each is related
to the others. Proposed actions may be carried out simultaneously in all four areas, or
they may be staged.
ACTION AREA A - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 6th Street,
Bannock Street and 8th Street. Here the panel observed an utter waste of potentially
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valuable land. There are obvious exceptions. Nevertheless, this area contains an above
average amount of deteriorated and marginal land uses.
This area is rich with opportunities. First, the ring road can be established at
relatively low cost. Traffic engineers must determine whether this will require
widening or removal of parking. However, it is recommended that some design feature
be established which will give the ring road identity and set it off from other streets.
Second, the new ceremonial entry can be established.
Doorstep Parking
Beyond these measures, there is an important opportunity at the south end of
Action Area A to provide the large, contiguous parking space so necessary to strengthen
Downtown. This would provide for parking at the doorstep of the core area and thus
further relieve traffic within the core itself.
This area also would allow for selective clearance to provide sites for business
and civic developments- the new construction so vital to Downtown. In general, business
uses would be concentrated west of Capitol Boulevard and civic uses east. However,
sufficient planning flexibility should be maintained so that special cases could be
considered. For instance, if a new hotel were proposed in this area east of Capitol
Boulevard, it should not be ruled out by an arbitrary line on the map, but rather should
be studied in the light of its potential relationship to the new civic developments
planned for the sector east of Capitol Boulevard.
ACTION AREA B - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 8th Street,
Bannock Street and lOth Street. It is the retail core of Boise. The four-square-block
northern sector contains a heart that is still pumping. It is the so-called 100 per cent
area. In its present condition the southern four-square-block sector has no tomorrow.
Improve Existing Structures
Treatment in the northern sector should be concentrated on improvement of
existing structures, with redevelopment for new parking and retail uses concentrated
in the southern sector.
This parking would tie in with the parking proposed for Action Area A. These
large parking areas would be located in a convenient relationship to the couplet and
Capitol Boulevard, both major access routes to central Boise. By clearance of de­teriorated
structures which now block Downtown, the retail district would be opened to
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view by the approaching motorist in somewhat the same manner as a suburban shopping
center.
Furthermore, retail construction in the southern sector of Action Area B would
give a bright new image to Downtown Boise. Such a site should provide attractive
investment opportunities as a showcase location for a major retail outlet.
ACTION AREA C - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 4th Street,
Bannock Street and 6th Street. Currently, this is an eight- square-block area of wasted
land. The location close to the Capitol and the retail core creates incentives for new
uses that are frustrated by much of the present development which was geared to the
needs of another era.
Upgrade Land Use
In this area there are opportunities to continue the uses bordering the east side
of Capitol Boulevard, to upgrade land use, to gain frontage on the ring road, to gain
exposure to the new Capitol Boulevard and to redirect easterly traffic closer to the
couplet.
Above all else, however, this area provides the important opportunity to create
a superblock as a site for a convention and cultural center. Within this area also,
sites could be acquired for new city government buildings and the State Historical
Museum.
ACTION AREA D- This area is bounded by Bannock Street, 4th Street, Washington
Street and 8th Street. Bordering the state Capitol and including the County Building, this
is the logical. area for expansion of state and county governmental offices.
Concentrate Government Offices
Concentration of governmental offices in this area will support the vitality of the
retail district and encourage productive contacts between the various agencies and
levels of government.
SURROUNDING AREA-Beyond these four action areas lies the remainder of the
core as defined at the beginning of this section. Planning control in this peripheral
sector will encourage a high level of quality in the private development that will be
stimulated in the remainder of the core by new construction in the action areas.
This then is a program which the panel considers practical for central Boise -
four action areas within a defined core. If carried out in full, the program will create
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a new setting for the Capitol of Idaho and a new economic strength for Idaho's Capital
City.
Flexible Plan
While the plan provides for flexibility, it is cohesive. There are no gaps, or
potential islands of blight, between action areas. The fringe is protected by planning
control. Redevelopment proposals are geared both to removal of blight and site acqui­sition
for new uses. The entire program seeks to create mutually beneficial interaction
between land uses - so that the offices reinforce the retail market and the convention
center is related to hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities, for example.
The plan can be carried out in stages. It is flexible in the order or timing of
projects, yet complete in concept.
Judicious Use of Public Power
Basic to the program, of course, is the judicious use of public power for the
public good. The right of eminent domain will undoubtedly have to be exercised in the
redevelopment program. Land must be assembled into larger blocks to create the
more effective and economic land use pattern recommended here. However, it should be
emphasized that the panel is not proposing a massive bulldozer project but rather a
practical program of selective clearance, redevelopment and rehabilitation to remove
blight and build a better Boise.
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CONVENTION CENTER-AN ECONOMIC SPARKPLUG
A convention center should be the sparkplug which transmits new energy to the
economic engine of Boise.
Located in the heart of the community within a short walk of the Capitol, hotels,
restaurants and shops, the new center will add immeasurably to the vitality of the
core. The panel considers this a high priority project.
As a convention center, it will attract state and regional meetings to Boise which
now go elsewhere for lack of adequate facilities. This will not only bring new dollars
in the community, it will serve to promote the advantages of Boise throughout a broad
region.
New Dimension of Quality
Equally important, however, will be the center's role in the cultural life of Boise.
It will provide the auditorium for concerts, plays, musical productions, lectures and
other attractions, in addition to meetings and conventions - thereby adding a new
dimension of quality to Boise living.
The panel believes a location in Action Area C would be appropriate for the
center. It is recommended that a site of approximately 15 acres be acquired.
Facilities which could well adjoin the convention center would include the new
library, city hall, police department, and other public uses. These facilities could be
constructed in stages according to need and financing capacity.
The State Historical Museum, which seems assured of being built in the next
few years, also belongs in Action Area C. However, the convention center should be
designed and placed as the dominant structure in this new complex of buildings.
The convention center should be in prominent view of Capitol Boulevard in order to
achieve maximum visitor impact.
The panel does not believe that a sports arena would add to the convention and
cultural center complex. Sports events in this downtown location would not be compatible
with other activities in the area and would not provide significant new business for
Downtown. If a sports arena is shown to be needed on further study, the panel believes
the developing Boise College complex should be given serious consideration as a site.
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This would allow for dual use of the facility - by the college and the community
at large.
2,500-Seat Auditorium
The convention and cultural center should contain an auditorium with approxi­mately
2,500 fixed seats; a large, level floor area for exhibits; meeting rooms and
public facilities. The auditorium should be designed to high acoustic standards for
musical performances.
The suggested inclusion of an area for display of art work would certainly enhance
the beauty of the convention center.
In reviewing early design concepts for the center, the panel concluded that
opportunities exist for economies which would not interfere with functional convenience.
During the planning period, it would be useful for a team from the Architects, Engi­neers
and Planners Task Force to visit at least four other cities with comparable needs
where convention and cultural centers have been built in recent years. These cities
might well include Bakersfield, San Diego, Portland and Spokane.
The question of abandoning streets within the cultural center area was con­sidered
by the panel in the light of the effect this might be expected to have on other
streets. Suggestions for tunneling the street under the convention center were con­sidered.
It was the panel's conclusion that efforts to continue traffic under or over
the center would adversely affect the cost, unnecessarily complicate the plan, and
as a consequence, would be impractical.
It is recommended that street closings be kept to a minimum. However, it
should be obvious that the magnitude of the project will require some limited street
closing. The impact of necessary street closings should be carefully studied in order
to establish the least disruptive alternate routes for this traffic.
The auditorium and convention center should be planned to include surface
parking to serve the center. If part of the site is designated for later construction of
City buildings, the parking could be decked to maintain needed capacity.
Bond Issue
Construction of the convention and cultural center will depend upon successful
passage of a bond issue proposal. The panel believes that this project will achieve
broad public support if it is made clear that the convention and cultural center will
26
. ,
play a vital role in community life. It will contribute to the prosperity of the central
core area, stimulate construction and upgrading of hotel and motel facilities and give
residents of the Boise area a new sense of community identity.
The panel believes that the City through the Boise Redevelopment Agency should
seek federal cooperation under the urban renewal program to acquire the site for the
convention center as well as the remainder of the complex. Major redevelopment in
a congested city area with a multiplicity of property owners is almost impossible
without the power of eminent domain. Furthermore, the panel sees no reason why Boise
should not take advantage of the assistance which is being used by other cities throughout
the country.
Financing construction of the center will be a local responsibility. However, the
possibility of gaining some participation by people who benefit from the center but do
not live in the city should be investigated. The convention and cultural center will
serve a much larger area than the City of Boise. Some effort should be made to influence
residents outside the city limits to participate in the financing, either through an
expanded auditorium district or a lease-purchase plan, if the lease-purchase arrange­ment
proves to be a legal procedure in Idaho.
Governmental Office Complex
Adjacent to the area under consideration for the convention and cultural center
as well as other facilities, is Action Area D which has been proposed for expansion of
governmental offices as needs arise. The panel believes that a definite plan should
be made for this area and agreed upon by the different levels of government involved.
Official coordination is needed between city, county and state planning agencies
to achieve optimum use of this area as a governmental complex. It is possible that
some facilities might be developed jointly by the different levels of government and
shared with resulting economies. Cooperative planning and consultation between the
various levels of government should extend to any governmental buildings proposed
for the Capitol district.
Planning for new governmental offices should take into consideration the impact
upon the private market of removing tenants from tax paying buildings. In general,
however, the panel believes that both office occupancy and retail sales will be stimulated
by the proposed development programs.
The panel believes that the idea of a mall to connect the new federal building
with the proposed governmental area is impractical. It would be too disruptive of
existing property and too costly in proportion to the hoped for benefits.
27
It is recognized that the governmental area is best suited for executive and
administrative buildings. Certain specialized types of government buildings, such
as the State Highway Department, are better located away from Downtown.
The convention and cultural center will blend well with the gradually developing
office complex to enhance further the Capitol district and anchor the administrative,
entertainment, visitor and retail services in the central core.
New Buses Needed
28
TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING
One of the most important objectives of any workable central core plan must
be to develop a traffic pattern that will make it easier to come downtown with reasonable
speed and a minimum of traffic delay.
The panel is concerned with traffic flow in a central business district. Boise
is fortunate in having a street pattern that encourages real mobility. The proposed
ring road (Front, 6th, State and 8th) will stimulate other improvements in the core area.
Shoppers will come Downtown if they can get there easily and not be faced upon arrival
with long lines of cars and choked streets. In the panel's opinion, the ring road will
move traffic.
A further improvement in traffic can be achieved by establishing an easterly
connection to the couplet at 5th Street. The combination of a ring road and an eastward
connector to the couplet would ease traffic flow considerably.
Alternate Route
Nevertheless, as the City grows there will be increasing pressure on downtown
streets if the central core is developed to the extent proposed by the Boise Planning
and Development Committee. For this reason, an alternate route should be developed
to move traffic around Downtown. This could be a road along the river tied in with a
green belt which would further enhance Boise's excellent park system. Such a road
would materially relieve traffic on the couplet and other downtown streets. The panel
considers it essential to make plans for such an alternate route.
A primary step in downtown improvement is to provide for easy auto access to
the center. Adequate parking in the downtown area is the next important consideration.
The panel believes that the additional parking suggested for Action Area A, B and C
will meet foreseeable future demand.
The panel suggests maximum reliance upon grade-level, off-street parking in
Boise. If the parking areas are reasonably large they will appeal more to the woman
shopper than multi-story garages.
In the event that City-owned parking lots or garages result from the renewal
program, the panel agrees that wherever possible these facilities should be offered
29
for lease to private operators on a competitive bid basis. In many cities, the revenue
from these sources is allocated to development of additional parking facilities.
Street Parking
At present there appears to be no need for a general prohibition of street parking.
Boise streets are wide and one way. The panel is interested in making a trip Downtown
as easy and convenient as possible. If traffic can be moved without obstruction, there
is no need to take parking off the streets. As traffic increases this may become neces­sary
in certain locations later.
If more parking is needed as the program develops, parking decks may be
required. However, the panel would advise against construction of combination store­and-
garage structures. Experience indicates that these do not work out well. Such
buildings are difficult to design to suit the various tenants. As a result, they are
hard to rent.
The panel recommends that any parking structures which are built in Boise be
limited to two stories with roof parking. Open parking similar to that found in shopping
centers should be the objective.
Public Transportation
Admittedly, most Americans rely upon the private automobile. However, in Boise,
as in other cities, there are many people who must depend upon public transportation.
Recent surveys indicate that approximately 500,000 passenger trips are made each
year aboard the buses in Boise. They are made despite the fact that equipment is
completely obsolete. These half million trips are made by adult shoppers, office
workers and children. There is no question among the panel members that mass
transportation is necessary in Boise. It is imperative for the economic health of the
central business district and the entire City.
Following a technical study of the potential user demand for modern, public
transportation in Boise, action should be taken to establish the bus system on a perma­nent
basis that will enable improvement in facilities and services.
The combination of street improvements, parking and modern public transportation
outlined here should provide the vital element of accessibility in the central core plan.
30
RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN
The first thing a doctor does when he examines a new patient is take the patient's
temperature. The panel did this in the case of the patient known as Boise.
First reading was normal but further examination revealed trouble spots. The
retail core appeared healthy on the surface but close investigation disclosed potential
illness that could prove fatal.
This illness took the form of functional obsolescence, structural deterioration,
potential clogging of the arteries and general lack of vigor. However, the panel con­cluded
that sufficient strength exists to make a confident prognosis of full recovery
following a combination of limited surgery and continued restorative treatment.
Wide Merchandise Selection
On the plus side, the panel observed some modern stores and a number of
strong local merchants. These are the lifeblood of a retail community. Wide selections
of merchandise with particularly impressive apparel presentations were observed.
This is important in keeping retail sales in Boise, rather than allowing them to escape
to larger centers.
The panel was impressed with the excellent media for promotion which exist in
Boise. Local newspapers, television and radio provide a broad range of outlets for
the Boise advertiser. This is exceedingly important - as was so dramatically demon­strated
when retail sales plummeted during the newspaper strikes in Portland and
New York.
An important tonic for Boise's retail section will be supplied by the new audi­torium
and convention center. There is no question that the convention center will
increase the volume of retail sales in Boise.
In Seattle where a strong convention promotion program is carried out con­tinuously,
it is estimated that one person staying one day at a convention will spend
$48. Multiplied by thousands of visitors each year, this figure makes an important
contribution to the retail core of Seattle. Although the daily dollar figure probably
would be different for Boise, the favorable impact upon the core area would be equally
significant.
31
Further concentration of government and other offices in the core area will
greatly strengthen the retail market as well. Merchandising efforts should be directed
to the office employees who come Downtown every day and can shop during their
lunch hours or after work.
Space for Expansion
Redeveloping a portion of the existing retail sector will remove blight. Equally
important, however, is the fact that redevelopment will provide space for retail
expansion in modern facilities comparable to those offered in outlying shopping centers.
Existing merchants will be given an opportunity to increase the size of their operations.
Space will be provided to attract new merchants who will strengthen the retail core.
Boise is fortunate that there are no regional shopping centers threatening the
Downtown district now. This means the improvement program can be undertaken
while there is still time to stem the tide of decentralization that has engulfed other
downtown areas which failed to modernize.
In upgrading the retail core of Downtown Boise, merchants and property owners
should take a page from the book of regional shopping center developers and operators.
Every effort should be made to enable key tenants to enlarge their stores and
to provide a wider selection of merchandise. This will attract customers Downtown and
benefit other merchants. A 200,000-square-foot store will have more growing power
than a 100,000-square-foot store. The merchant with 100,000 square feet who wants
to double his space will move to the suburbs if he cannot acquire that space com­petitively
in a desirable location Downtown.
Never Stop Modernizing
The regional shopping center never stops modernizing. Boise's Downtown
merchants can learn an important lesson from the constant, controlled program of
sign improvement which is carried out in a shopping center - with the individual
signs designed on a coordinated basis.
One means of gaining immediate, visible results from the Downtown improve­ment
program in Boise would be for the merchants of one block to get together and
install new signs based on a harmonious plan prepared by a design consultant. In
addition to removing the clutter of signs which jut out over the sidewalk blocking each
other from view, the new signs could be placed on a facing that would cover poorly
32
maintained building fronts and pull the jumbled impression of the existing block
together into a unified whole - as in a regional shopping center. A somewhat similar
program was carried out in Watertown, New York, under the leadership of the Greater
Watertown Chamber of Commerce.
Downtown becomes a day older every day. If a consistent modernization program
is not carried out on a continuing basis, the time will come when it will be too late
to modernize. The retail core will cease to exist. In Boise there is no market for
replacement of this land use.
Merchants should give full support to the program for expansion of Downtown
parking facilities as well as mass transportation. A regional shopping center lives
on parking. Downtown must provide convenient parking in quantity at low rates to
maintain retail strength in the face of potential regional shopping center development
or the gradual siphoning off of business by outlying centers which, though not regional,
offer convenient parking and other attractions.
Form Merchants Association
The most important action which can be taken by the merchants of Boise to
strengthen Downtown is the formation of a strong merchants association to coordinate
the merchandising effort in the core area. This association should carry on concen­trated
promotions similar to those which have been so successful in shopping centers.
Dollar Days, Value Days and Back-to-School promotions, Spring Fashion Pre­views
and Downtown Nights are typical events. Group promotion and group advertising
are among the major secrets of shopping center success. Downtown Boise can remain
the major regional shopping center of the community by combining consistent promo­tion
on a group basis with the other actions proposed in the core area development
program.
Such a program will encourage existing merchants to stay Downtown and attract
new merchants to strengthen the retail center. However, group action requires work
and money.
The budget for a merchants association in a major regional shopping center
runs over $100,000 a year. In addition, the retailers in such a center spend hundreds
of thousands advertising their individual stores. Much of this money is spent in
group promotions - all of the merchants doing the same thing at the same time to
increase customer impact.
33
\
A merchants association in Boise will require a full time staff with a top level
director who can bring the retailers together in the promotional effort. The director
will be interested in the association rather than any one store. He will be responsible
for preparation of the required promotional materials and organizing the program.
Together with leading backers of the organization he will be responsible for raising
the money to carry out a major promotional campaign.
Downtown Mall?
The panel has been asked to consider the proposal for a mall in the retail core
area of Boise. At the present time, there does not appear to be any compelling reason
to close traffic off from the heart of the retail section. The panel is concerned that
the necessary street closing would cause congestion on perimeter streets and create
a psychological barrier to the shopper who is used to being able to drive in the
center of the area.
A mall is not the solution to Downtown problems in Boise. At a future stage
in the development of the improvement program, it might be considered. At this point,
however, a mall might prove disappointing for it cannot be expected to revive Downtown
alone. The redevelopment of land for parking and new retail construction combined
with the street improvements, convention center and new office complex are the really
vital elements of the plan. Without these, the mall might even have a negative effect.
Summarizing the panel's examination of the retail core, it is concluded that
Boise is in a favorable position to undertake an improvement program that will rein­force
Downtown's position as the dominant retail center in the region. The strong
existing core area has not yet been faced with regional centers to divide the market.
The revitalization program will place Downtown in a better competitive position.
Major needs in the retail area are larger stores, modernization and promotion.
34
.>
NEW DOLLARS FOR BOISE- THE VISITOR INDUSTRY
Boise's potential as a visitor center - with resulting economic benefits to the
community - is far greater than many people realize.
The panel believes that development of tourist trade is one of the most productive
fields of economic activity open to the City. However, seed money for an intensive
promotional campaign will have to be invested in order to make Boise better known to
the travel hungry American family.
Boiseans recognize the obvious benefits to be derived from visitors who will
attend meetings at the convention center. These people will bring in new dollars. This
is true of the visitor industry as well. Tourist dollars are the same type of dollars.
They come from outside but remain to circulate in the community for a long time.
With growing affluence, pleasure travel has become feasible for the average
citizen. Today's family is a vacationing family. Longer vacations and more money
to spend encourage the endless search for new and interesting places to explore.
Tourist Appeal
Boise has a wealth of tourist appeal as the gateway to a tremendous recreational
area. Fishing, hunting, skiing, boating and just plain sightseeing are at the City's
doorstep. Promotion of Boise as a vacation playland will bring new dollars to hotels,
motels, restaurants, retail stores and the entire economy of the City.
The panel recommends establishment of an annual tourist event to spotlight the
assets of Boise and draw visitors from throughout the west. Examples of successful
tourist events which have contributed significantly to the cities where they have been
held annually for many years are the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the St. Paul Winter
Carnival, the Portland Rose Festival and the Seattle Sea Fair. These are big cities
with big promotions.
However, highly successful events have been scaled to smaller cities with
excellent results. Examples include the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival, the
Pendleton Roundup and the Shakespeare Festival at Ashland, Oregon.
Most of these festivals and events did not always exist. They were brought
into being by civic and business leaders who were conscious of the role these events
35
could play in introducing their areas to the traveling public. Not one of these cities
would allow the event to fall by the wayside.
The panel recommends that a civic organization be established in cooperation
with the Chamber of Commerce to plan, promote and direct the program for an annual
tourist event in Boise as part of an accelerated program of visitor promotion. The
organization would establish the theme and dates for a festival. It would be responsible
for executing the program, once established, on a continuing basis.
As a result, tourist dollars will be brought to Boise; people who came to look
will come to stay; new industries will be created; and new investments will be made by
people who first discovered Boise as visitors.
Second Home Market
In a related area, today's real estate developer is becoming increasingly conscious
of a new force in the market - the second home. Not many years ago, the second car
was a family status symbol. More and more, today's goal seems to be the second home.
People who live in Arizona, Southern California and similar regions want to
escape from those hot climates at certain times of year. Many people have the desire
and the money to establish a second home. For the outdoors man and his family, the
panel can think of no finer place for a second home than the area surrounding Boise.
These people can be brought here first as tourists. Later they may become
tax-paying residents, if only for part of the year. This is another potential side benefit
of developing an active visitor promotion program.
The panel is convinced that tourism can become the growth industry of Boise.
36
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BOISE COLLEGE - KEY FACTOR
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Boise College can become a key factor in economic development of the community.
The need for educational facilities is increasing in all areas.
In considering the potential role of the College in Boise, it is well to review
current prospects for development of the local economy.
The government and service categories are basic to Boise's economic base.
These will increase with population growth. The wholesale and distribution industries
will grow also with the population of the broad region served by Boise. Additional
warehousing will be needed to support these industries.
The panel agrees that industrial development opportunities in Boise will be
concentrated on the processing and refinement of natural resources available nearby -
forest, mineral and agricultural products.
Most interesting opportunities exist for reclamation of additional land through
improved pumping facilities and irrigation districts. These will increase the quantity
and diversity of products grown.
The industrial park which has been established in Boise provides a reserve of
well located, protected land for new industry.
Invest in Higher Education
Nevertheless, something more is needed to stimulate well rounded economic
progress. It is the panel's opinion that expansion of higher educational facilities could
be the most important step to be taken in the building of new long range growth oppor­tunities.
Development of Boise, Ada County and the State of Idaho can be accelerated
by investment in education.
The panel recommends rapid development of Boise College into a University
with graduate schools of agriculture, business, engineering, forestry, law and medicine.
Idaho is rich in agricultural and forest products. An engineering school will
develop a cadre of leaders who can train or retrain workers in order to develop the
skilled labor pool so necessary to encourage the growth of light industry in Boise.
Boise is the largest city in Idaho. It is the logical location for a new medical
center with a teaching hospital and research facilities.
37
As the Capital of Idaho and home of the State Supreme Court, Boise is a prime
location for a law school. Young men and women aspiring to the bar would be exposed
to the senior court and legislature as part of their training in law and government.
Economic Impact
What effect will the development of a multi-school university have on the economy
of Boise? In our opinion the University itself will be an expanding economic activity
with a growing faculty and student body. Beyond this, however, will be the secondary
effects. A university stimulates other activities.
Existence of the university could well improve Boise's chance of attracting some
of the glamour industries such as electronics, plastics and chemicals. It would encourage
the location of food processing research and development facilities in the Idaho Capital.
Managerial and technical personnel of these industries favor university communities
where they can make use of research facilities associated with the university and
enjoy productive contacts with the faculty.
Site Studies Needed
Studies should be undertaken to determine the most advantageous locations in the
community for the principal graduate centers. Consideration should be given to
locating the medical school in the vicinity of a hospital complex. Locations in the
Capitol district should be considered for the law school. The existing College site
might well accommodate the schools of engineering, business and the arts.
The schools of agriculture and forestry would undoubtedly seek sites on the
periphery of the City or in the county where an experimental farm could be developed
for practical teaching and experimentation.
The panel is aware of existing universities in Idaho and nearby states. However,
the growing population of the west combined with the increasing emphasis on specialized
graduate education indicates a need for additional facilities in the broad region. It is
the opinion of the panel that Boise should take advantage of this opportunity. Expansion
of Boise College into a university will broaden the educational, research and industrial
base of the Capital City.
38
i
FINANCING COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT
A long range capital improvement program is the necessary first step in imple­menting
the community development plan. Completion of the workable program for
community improvement also is required for renewal assistance. Piecemeal action
on a case by case basis will not work.
Comprehensive financial planning is as important as comprehensive land use,
design and program planning. Now that a professional Planning Department has been
established in the City government, it should be possible to take an objective look
at capital improvement needs.
The first step toward financing the ambitious community development program
contemplated in Boise should be a complete enumeration of capital improvement needs
for at least the next five years by the Planning Department. Each proposed improvement
should be accompanied by an estimated price tag.
Fiscal Survey
At the same time, a fiscal survey should be conducted to determine the range
of public funding resources. The various proposed capital improvements should be
grouped according to the applicable type of financing, such as general obligation bonds,
revenue bonds and special assessments.
It will then be possible to determine the capacity of the community to carry out
the program within a reasonable period. On this basis, priorities can be established.
The panel recognizes that the long term, conservative fiscal policies of Boise's
leaders have kept the City almost debt free as far as general obligation bonds are
concerned. This places the City in a favorable position to make judicious use of
long term credit for general obligation bond financing to meet the critical needs of a
development period. The City should begin now to invest in the creation of growth
opportunities. Local financing may be supplemented by federal grants.
The convention and cultural center is a high priority item. Immediate steps
should be taken leading toward a bond proposal. As recommended earlier, efforts
should be made to work out a means of financing that will allow for participation by
those who live outside the City but stand to benefit from the center.
39
Federal cooperation under the urban renewal program should be sought to
implement the redevelopment of blighted areas in the central core.
Under the redevelopment agency which has been established in Boise, federal
urban renewal assistance will become available for use in land acquisition for the
Capitol Boulevard, retail core and convention-cultural center projects. Local expendi­tures
for some public improvements in the area may be credited against Boise's share
of renewal project costs. This will enable the City to gain multiple benefits from these
expenditures.
The City may wish to consider issuance of revenue bonds to finance the extensive
new parking facilities proposed in the core area.
Private Investment
In planning the program, it should be remembered that major financing will come
from private investment in the central business district. The public financing of capital
improvements is seed money to attract new private investment in Downtown Boise.
It is time for the City to draw up a long range capital improvement program that
will cover needs, priorities and financial resources. Only in this way can the Boise
development program be carried forward on an orderly basis.
The City should be prepared to increase bonded indebtedness significantly as an
investment in community development. The prudent management of city finances in
past years enables this action to be taken with ease and confidence.
40
GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Continuous planning and guidance will be required as the community development
program moves forward.
The highly effective leadership network which has been created through the
Boise Planning and Development Committee must not be allowed to disintegrate when
a plan is accepted.
The action phase of the program perhaps even more than the planning phase
will demand continued direct involvement of Boise's civic, business and governmental
leadership. The Boise Redevelopment Agency is responsible for implementing many
of the proposed action programs. The Agency will need continued guidance and support
from the community's business leaders and citizens.
Although existing and newly created agencies will undertake responsibility for
different aspects of the development program, it will be absolutely essential to maintain
a top level forum in which general problems can be solved at every step along the road.
In this way the necessary coordination can be achieved by community decision makers
who will continue to give needed leadership to the program.
The panel recommends that the Boise Planning and Development Committee be
placed on a permanent basis to function as a citizen leadership and advisory organiza­tion
in planning community improvement activities.
Not for Central Boise Alone
The development program is not intended for central Boise alone. It is a program
to strengthen the whole community. In attempting to take a broad view of Boise's
development problems and opportunities, the panel wishes to caution against the growth
of a narrowly competitive spirit in city-county relations. This has hampered the progress
of other communities and if allowed to develop, could be detrimental to Boise.
It is in the best interests of both the city and the county to develop a strong Boise
community. The panel believes that one of the best ways to assure mutual understanding
of inter- jurisdictional growth problems in urban areas is regional planning.
The need for cooperation between the City of Boise and Ada County is high­lighted
by the fact that the City's power to annex is limited to land already subdivided.
41
This means that the planning must be done after the development pattern has been
frozen. This precludes comprehensive land use planning for the long range growth
of Boise.
Without a regional planning mechanism, both the city and county are limited
in their ability to consider common problems which require common solutions -
problems such as flood control, water conservation, sewerage, highways and taxation
policy.
Regional Planning Proposed
The panel believes that a regional planning program should be established with
city-county cooperation so that annexation may be timed in coordination with a capital
improvements schedule to provide urban services in developing areas.
This could be implemented through creation of a regional planning commission
charged with the responsibility for development of a regional master plan that will give
due consideration to all problems of joint concern.
A key factor in carrying out the central core development program will be the
newly established Boise Redevelopment Agency. The panel believes this agency should
operate in closest coordination with the City's Department of Planning and the business
leadership of the community.
Detailed project planning and execution will be the Redevelopment Agency's
responsibility. However, the larger planning problems such as selection of areas for
development and long range programming of renewal action should be handled by the
City's Department of Planning which is responsible to the Mayor and Council. The
Boise Planning and Development Committee should act in an advisory capacity to all
public and private agencies concerned with the development program.
Finally, the panel believes that continuing public information activity to assure
citizen understanding of the goals and techniques of community development action
is vital in guiding the program.
Time To Act
The time for action is now. Boise has the leadership. No better opportunity ever
will exist for the community to take steps which will develop its full economic potential
as Capital of Idaho and center of an important trade area.
42
t
----==--------------~----~------------~------------_.--
About the Urban Land Institute
Founded in 1936, the Urban Land Institute is an independent, nonprofit
research organization which has played a key role in developing successful
techniques for the building and rebuilding of American cities.
Members of ULI include land developers, builders, architects, city planners,
investors, planning and renewal agencies, financing institutions and a wide
range of others with a professional interest in urban space.
Each of the Institute's three Councils-Central City, Community Builders
and Industrial-is headed by an Executive Group of 25 leaders with national
experience. These authorities are available to serve on panels which study
specific problems in renewal and development.
Through publications, conferences and research projects, the Institute pro­vides
a clearinghouse of practical information on urban land use. Publications
include the monthly Urban Land which covers news and trends in city develop­ment,
Technical Bulletins and Research Monographs. ULI's three Councils
conduct frequent conferences.
·-

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Full-text

BOISE, IDAHO
CAPITAL CITY
AN URBAN LAND INSTITUTE PANEL STUDY REPORT
TO THE BOISE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
BOISE
Boise Idaho
CAPITAL CITY)
"Let us in this our day and generation
perform something worthy to be remembered."
Daniel Webster
A REPORT
TO THE BOISE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, Inc.
BY A PANEL OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE
1200 18th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036
1966
Main Street Needs Modernizing
,
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD. . . . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . • . • • • • . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL . . • . • . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . 9
RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF 13
GUIDE LINES FOR BOISE
17
A NEW SETTING FOR THE CAPITOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . 19
CONVENTION CENTER - AN ECONOMIC SPARKPLUG 25
TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING 29
\
RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . • . • . 31
NEW DOLLARS FOR BOISE - THE VISITOR INDUSTRY . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . 35
"
BOISE COLLEGE - KEY FACTOR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 37
FINANCING COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT 39
GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 41
...
.j.
FOREWORD
At the invitation of the Boise Planning and Development Committee, a panel of
the Urban Land Institute visited Boise, October 17-21, 1965, to review development
proposals for the center of Idaho's Capital City.
Members of the panel presented recommendations in a public meeting at the con­clusion
of their stay. This report forms a permanent record of the panel's proposals.
It is hoped that this review of Boise's preliminary development program for the central
city will help business, governmental and civic leaders achieve the necessary consensus
to take action that will strengthen the entire community.
Panel studies are conducted by the three Councils of the Institute ---Central City,
Community Builders and Industrial. The Boise study was the 57th since the panel service
was initiated in 1947. It was the 25th concerned primarily with development of the
central city.
Members of the panel were selected on the basis of their extensive experience in
problems relevant to Boise. Four members of the panel were drawn from the Central
City Council. Two members were chosen from the Community Builders Council.
Panel members donate their services to the Institute. The sponsor's contribu­tion
supports ULI research, educational activity and the J. C. Nichols Foundation
scholarship.
The panel study service is a direct action phase of ULI's broad program to improve
the standards and techniques of urban land development .
~
5
A Modern Office Building
A Handsome Rehabi I itation
SIGNS OF
NEW LIFE
DOWNTOWN
Tree Plantings on the Street
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The panel wishes to acknowledge the outstanding work done by the Boise Planning
and Development Committee in the preliminary phase of formulating a development
plan and program for central Boise. Under the leadership of Arthur Oppenheimer, Jr.,
president, the Committee has done a remarkable job of involving community leaders in
the planning of a better Boise.
Special recognition is due the Committee's Architects, Engineers, and Planners
Task Force, under the leadership of Charles Hummel and Earl Reynolds, Jr., for its
work in developing land use concepts reviewed by the panel.
Members of the panel wish also to commend the Planning and Development
Committee's consulting firm, Ernst & Ernst; Marcel Learned, partner; Gilbert McCoy,
director of economic development; and Jack Montgomery, manager, for the comprehen­sive
work in coordinating the Boise program.
Further, thanks also are due the many city, county and state officials, business
leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, community organizations and citizens who coop­erated
so generously with the panel throughout the study.
7
SIGNS
OF NEGLECT
Broken Curb
Grassy Sidewalks
Alley Litter
....
PANEL MEMBERS
Newton C. Farr, Chicago, Chairman of the Panel
Mr. Farr is a former president of the Urban Land Institute. He is a consultant
to the real estate firm of Farr, Chinnock and Sampson in Chicago. Mr. Farr is president
of the American Chapter, International Real Estate Federation. He is a past president
of the National Association of Real Estate Boards. Mr. Farr was a pioneer in Chicago's
urban rebuilding activities. He is a past president of the American Society of Real
Estate counselors.
Robert T. Nahas, Oakland
Mr. Nahas is president of the Urban Land Institute and head of his own land
development firm, the Robert T. Nahas Company. He has developed shopping centers,
apartments and industrial properties in Northern California. Mr. Nahas is president
of Coliseum, Inc., the non-profit organization developing Oakland's new stadium and
arena complex .
William S. Ballard, Boston
Mr. Ballard is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute and an Executive Group
member of the Central City Council. He is a real estate consultant and appraiser.
A specialist in urban renewal, Mr. Ballard has conducted land use and marketability
studies, re-use appraisals and special surveys in more than 50 cities in eight states.
He is a former president of the New England Chapters of the American Institute of Real
Estate Appraisers and the Society of Industrial Realtors.
John W. Combs, Willowdale, Ontario
Mr. Combs is an Executive Group member of ULI's Central City Council. He
heads John W. Combs, Ltd., a firm of market research, planning and development
consultants. In 1955, Mr. Combs was retained by the Argus Corporation for the devel­opment
of the Greater Hamilton Shopping Center, largest in the British Empire at the
time it was built.
9
James B. Douglas, Seattle
Mr. Douglas is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute and Executive Group member
of the Community Builders Council. As president of Northgate Centers, Inc., he
operates Northgate, one of the leading shopping centers in the far west. Mr. Douglas
was vice president and director for the Seattle Century 21 World's Fair Corporation
in charge of design and construction of the 1962 World's Fair.
F. Lawrence Dow, Hartford
Mr. Dow is vice chairman of the Central City Council, Urban Land Institute.
He heads the real estate firm of Dow and Condon. A specialist in commercial and
industrial brokerage, appraising and property management, he is also engaged in
consulting work for various firms in the Hartford area. Mr. Dow has served as
president of the New England Chapters, Institute of Real Estate Management and
Society of Industrial Realtors.
ULI Staff for the Boise Panel Study
Mechlin D. Moore, Director of Information
10
NMOlNMOa ~3llnl:::> SN~IS
BOISE, IDAHO
Core Area Development Proposals
Action Area B
Action Area C · m Action Area D
---- Core Area
~ Ring Road
I
J,,
RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF
1. A coordinated program to improve highway accessibility, provide large,
convenient parking areas, and undertake extensive new construction is needed to
stimulate central Boise as the community's primary activity center. These improve­ments
should be concentrated within an established core area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 3rd Street, Franklin Street and 12th Street. Planning control should cover
all development within this area to assure functional and harmonious land use rela­tionships
throughout the Capitol District.
2. A ring road should be established to collect and distribute traffic within the
Downtown area. This can be done by creating a one-way traffic pattern in a counter­clockwise
direction on Front, 6th, State and 8th.
3. Capitol Boulevard should be improved to provide a new, ceremonial entrance
to Idaho's Capitol. With congestion removed from Front to State, Capitol Boulevard
can be enhanced by landscape design to provide a proper showcase for the seat of
state government.
4. Action Area A Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 6th Street, Bannock Street and 8th Street to create the ring road, redesign
Capitol Boulevard as a ceremonial entrance, provide a large parking area visible to
motorists entering the City and make sites available for new construction flanking the
revitalized Boulevard.
5. ActionArea B- Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad tracks,
8th Street, Bannock Street and lOth Street to improve the retail heart of the community.
Treatment in the northern four- block sector would be concentrated on improvement of
existing structures, with redevelopment for new parking and retail uses concentrated
in the southern four- block sector.
6. Action Area C - Action is proposed in the area bounded by the railroad
tracks, 4th Street, Bannock Street and 6th Street to continue the uses recommended for
the area bordering the east side of Capitol Boulevard and to create a superblock as a
site for the proposed cultural and convention center.
7. Action Area D- Action is proposed in the area bounded by Bannock Street,
4th Street, Washington Street and 8th Street to develop needed sites for expansion of
governmental offices without disrupting appropriate existing uses.
13
8. Official coordination between city, county and state planning · agencies is
needed for the most practical planning of new buildings in the Capitol Districts.
9. The auditorium-convention-cultural center with supporting parking areas
should be given high priority for development on a site of approximately 15 acres in
Action Area C in prominent view of Capitol Boulevard. The auditorium should contain
2,500 fixed seats and be designed acoustically for musical performances as well as
other cultural activities. An area could be set aside in the building for display of art
work. Convention facilities should include a large, level floor for exhibits plus meeting
rooms.
10. Surface parking should be provided in Action Area C with provisions made for
conversion to multi-story parking garages as parts of the area are developed for
purposes such as a new state historical museum, library, city hall and police head­quarters.
11. In view of the fact that the auditorium will serve a relatively wide region,
the auditorium-convention center should be financed through an expanded auditorium
district and bond issue, or other means such as a lease-purchase plan, that would
enable areas outside the City limits to make contributions to the cost proportionate
to the benefits which they may be expected to receive.
12. A connecting road to the couplet system (Front east, Grove west) should be
extended to the east beyond 5th Street to improve traffic flow.
13. Long range planning should include an alternate river route to move traffic
around the downtown core. The alternate route should be designed to create a green
belt which will further enhance Boise's excellent park system.
14. Parking proposed in the preliminary plan for the retail core appears adequate
and to the greatest degree possible should be developed at street level for maximum
shopper appeal. Where garages prove necessary they should be limited to two stories
plus roof space.
15. Municipally owned parking lots or garages which may be developed should be
leased to private operators on a competitive bid basis.
16. There does not appear to be any present need for complete elimination of
curbside parking in the core area.
17. Downtown redevelopment in Boise should provide the necessary space for
potential expansion of major retail outlets.
18. A strong, downtown merchants association should be formed with a full-time
staff and an adequate budget to carry out an aggressive promotional program on a
basis similar to the advertising and promotion campaigns conducted by regional
shopping centers.
14
}
19. Following a technical study of the potential user demand for modern, public
transportation in Boise, action should be taken to establish the bus system on a per­manent
basis that will enable improvement in facilities and services.
20. There does not appear to be any present need for a mall in Boise's retail -
core. Further, the necessary closing of streets to create a mall would aggravate
traffic problems.
21. Boise should take far greater advantage of its location at the gateway to a
mountain vacation land in a stepped-up program of visitor promotion through estab­lishment
of an annual event that would attract tourists from throughout the west.
22. A civic organization should be established in cooperation with the Chamber
of Commerce to plan, promote and direct the program for the Boise tourist event.
23. A program of coordinated store-front modernization should be undertaken
without delay. A harmonious plan for a whole block should be drawn up by a design
consultant who will create individual signs which blend with each other.
24. Economic growth of the Boise area can be accelerated by increased invest­ment
in higher education. The panel proposes rapid development of Boise College
into a University with graduate schools of agriculture, business, engineering, forestry,
law and medicine.
25. It is time for the city to draw up a long-range capital improvement program
that will cover needs, priorities and financial resources. Only in this way can the
Boise development program be carried forward on an orderly basis.
26. The city should be prepared to increase bonded indebtedness significantly
as an investment in the community development program. The prudent management
of city finances in past years enables this action to be taken with ease and confidence.
27. Federal cooperation under the urban renewal program should be sought
to implement the redevelopment of deteriorating areas in the central core.
28. A regional planning program should be established with city-county cooperation
so that annexation may be timed in coordination with a capital improvements program
to provide urban services in developing areas.
29. The Boise Planning and Development Committee should be placed on a
permanent basis to function as a citizen leadership and advisory organization in
planning community improvement activities.
15
COMPETITION FOR DOWNTOWN
GUIDELINES FOR BOISE
Boise has reached a critical turning point in its growth. Establishment of a broad
development policy now can increase the potential for an expanding economic base to
support a richer life for a growing population.
Without an action program based on a comprehensive plan, the community could
well lose opportunities to progressive centers in other parts of the region. This is a time
of challenge for Idaho's Capital City.
• Governmental activities are growing. This creates an urgent need to coordinate
plans for the physical development of the district E!Urrounding the capital. Regular
consultation between the city, county, state and federal governments at the technical and
policy levels is essential to achieve functional and harmonious land use relationships
in this vital section of the community.
Economic Development Needed
• A narrow economic base has been a factor in the relatively slow development of
Boise. Relying upon state government, retail trade and agriculture, the city's growth
has been gradual. New opportunities for economic development must be generated if
the city is to maintain and enhance its position as a regional center.
• Downtown Boise can no longer rest on its laurels as the major retail center
between Spokane and Salt Lake City. Unless far reaching steps are taken, a regional
shopping center may be expected to develop along the new interstate highway outside
the City. There is no sure way to prevent this. However, if a dramatic improvement pro­gram
is undertaken without delay in Boise's core area, there are sound reasons to
believe that the city can retain its commanding position in the struggle for the retail
dollar.
• Accessibility to the core area of the City and ease of circulation within this area
must be improved if a growing community is to be served.
• Development of Boise's urban fringe must not be allowed to proliferate in
haphazard patterns that make it increasingly difficult to provide the public services
which residents expect.
17
Diversify and Modernize
These are some of the important challenges which face the community. Fortunately,
decision makers in the City area are aware of the need for action and committed to
creation of a blueprint for a new, more diversified, more modern Boise - a community
that will attract people of high skill and purpose who want to live in a vital center at
the gateway to a prime recreation area.
It was this objective which led to creation of the Boise Planning and Development
Committee by business, civic and governmental leaders. Elements of the plan have been
emerging from the Committee's Task Forces during the past year. More are on the
drawing boards.
It was the assignment of this panel to review the preliminary plans of the Com­mittee
in the light of experience elsewhere, to evaluate proposed courses of action
under consideration by the Committee, and to suggest new or alternative approaches
to the various problems where deemed appropriate.
Technical Studies
For technical studies and data, the panel has relied upon the Committee and its
consultants, the planning agencies of local government and the Chamber of Commerce.
During a field study in Boise, the panel made extensive investigations of the areas
concerned and conferred at length with a wide range of community leaders and technical
experts in the various aspects of the development program. Community leaders and
technical experts participated in thorough briefing sessions during the panel study. At
the end of the visit, the panel presented recommendations at a public report session
sponsored by the Boise Planning and Development Committee.
It is hoped that the conclusions and recommendations of the panel will help guide
policy makers in the creation of guidelines for Boise. The panel is convinced that
the Boise Planning and Development Committee has established a strong framework for
the construction of a program that can achieve the necessary consensus to rise to the
challenge of new growth opportunities and pressing problems.
18
A NEW SETTING FOR THE CAPITOL
A positive development program should begin with recognition of a community's
assets. The negative approach of seeking palliatives for obvious community ills will
not achieve lasting results.
Boise has many assets. Tree-lined streets define inviting neighborhoods of
attractive homes. Recreational opportunities abound. Business serves an unusually broad
trade area. Cultural and educational facilities are increasing.
However, of all the City's assets its position as the seat of state government is
the best suited to become the foundation for a community development program. The
Capitol is a major civic feature at the center of the City. It is an important anchor for
governmental, office and retail services. The Capitol is the keystone of Boise's core
area and the focal point of civic pride.
If the Capitol is engulfed in congestion causing a dispersion of state offices, the
community will suffer. If the approaches to the Capitol are flanked by creeping blight,
the community will suffer. If the retail area adjacent to the Capitol is strangled by
inability to acquire sites for modernization and expansion, the community will suffer.
New Dignity for the State Capitol
On the other hand, if a comprehensive planning program is adopted to enlarge
and enhance the governmental complex in open green surroundings, the Capitol will
achieve new dignity, and opportunities will be created for neighboring private invest­ment.
If blight is attacked along the approach to the Capitol, a renewed ceremonial
entry can be created to draw people into the heart of the City. If a redevelopment
program is carried out to give Boise's core the qualities of a modern, suburban
shopping center, retail business should continue to be anchored downtown.
All of these actions and more can be encompassed in a program to provide a new
setting for the Capitol of Idaho. Utilizing the Capitol as a prime community asset,
central Boise can retain its vitality and become an increasingly important center for
governmental, financial, professional, office, retail, tourist, convention, cultural and
entertainment activities.
In order to determine the necessary steps to revitalize the Capitol area, it is
necessary to examine existing conditions.
19
Downtown Boise is sick. The economic health of Downtown Boise is a valid
concern of the whole community. Without action now, competition could well finish off
Downtown Boise as a major retail trade center when the interstate highway is completed.
This would erode property values and cut tax revenues with a resulting detrimental
effect upon the entire City.
Pressures for Change
Boise is subject to many of the same pressures for change which exist in other
cities. There is the pressure created by public demand for ease of access to shopping
areas, employment centers and governmental services. Traffic congestion, inconvenient
parking facilities and poor public transportation discourage employes and shoppers.
Mobility of the customer's dollar in a society on wheels creates additional pressure
for change. This combines with competition of the new to exert intense pressure on old,
tired Downtown sections. The pressure is intensified by growth in household income.
The increasingly affluent shopper can and should drive her car to the center with the
most interesting merchandise in the most modern setting with the most convenient
parking.
This means there is a pressure for new construction in any downtown area which
hopes to retain its influence as a business center against the threat of decentralization.
New buildings alone will not do the job. They must be designed with aesthetic appeal and
provided with front door parking visible to the approaching customer.
If Downtown Boise is to maintain its position and develop the new potential to be
created by improvements in the Capitol district, it will be necessary to respond to these
pressures for change. The basic needs of Boise's central business district are improved
highway accessibility, large parking areas contiguous to the retail core and extensive new
construction of modern retail facilities.
What are some of the specific problems and opportunities considered by the panel
in Boise's core area For purposes of practical planning, this area is defined by the
railroad tracks, 3rd Street, Franklin Street and 12th Street. Its focal point is the state
Capitol. Planning control should cover all development within this area to assure func­tional
and harmonious land use relationships throughout the Capitol district.
A Sorry Approach to the Capitol
Confused traffic patterns and a sorry approach to the Capitol were two of the most
striking problems observed by the panel. With the couplet of one way streets (Front east,
20
•
!
_j
Grove west), relatively speedy and convenient approach and departure corridors have
been established. However, there will be an increasing need for a better means of
distributing the traffic upon arrival in the core.
This suggests an opportunity for a ring road that will collect and circulate traffic
within the Downtown sector. This may be established with ease on existing streets by
creating a one-way traffic pattern in a counter-clockwise direction on Front, 6th, State
and 8th.
The ring road will relieve Capitol Boulevard north of Front, thereby opening an
opportunity for a ceremonial entrance to the Capitol of Idaho. This entrance would be
created by improvements to Capitol Boulevard from the railroad tracks to the Capitol.
A cluttered approach marred by blighted property detracts from the stately
atmosphere which should surround the seat of government. There is no green carpeted
mall as in Sacramento or fountained plaza as in San Francisco, to provide a setting
for the chief governmental building.
Ceremonial Entry to the Capitol
The improvement of Capitol Boulevard as a ceremonial entry is central to the
improvement of Boise's core area. Traffic need not be removed entirely from Front to
the Capitol grounds, but the Boulevard should be enhanced by landscape design to provide
a proper showcase. Park-like elements could be introduced within the public right-of-way
to create the new approach.
Enhancement of this area would provide a rallying point for civic pride. It would
make the City more attractive as a visitor center and create incentives for tax-paying
investment nearby.
In the opinion of the panel, the major objective of the central area improvement
program should be a new setting for the Capitol. This would create surrounding economic
benefits that would strengthen the whole City. Fundamental steps in the program are
planning control throughout the defined core area, the ring collector, and the ceremonial
entrance.
Within this framework, four action areas have been delineated. Each is related
to the others. Proposed actions may be carried out simultaneously in all four areas, or
they may be staged.
ACTION AREA A - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 6th Street,
Bannock Street and 8th Street. Here the panel observed an utter waste of potentially
21
valuable land. There are obvious exceptions. Nevertheless, this area contains an above
average amount of deteriorated and marginal land uses.
This area is rich with opportunities. First, the ring road can be established at
relatively low cost. Traffic engineers must determine whether this will require
widening or removal of parking. However, it is recommended that some design feature
be established which will give the ring road identity and set it off from other streets.
Second, the new ceremonial entry can be established.
Doorstep Parking
Beyond these measures, there is an important opportunity at the south end of
Action Area A to provide the large, contiguous parking space so necessary to strengthen
Downtown. This would provide for parking at the doorstep of the core area and thus
further relieve traffic within the core itself.
This area also would allow for selective clearance to provide sites for business
and civic developments- the new construction so vital to Downtown. In general, business
uses would be concentrated west of Capitol Boulevard and civic uses east. However,
sufficient planning flexibility should be maintained so that special cases could be
considered. For instance, if a new hotel were proposed in this area east of Capitol
Boulevard, it should not be ruled out by an arbitrary line on the map, but rather should
be studied in the light of its potential relationship to the new civic developments
planned for the sector east of Capitol Boulevard.
ACTION AREA B - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 8th Street,
Bannock Street and lOth Street. It is the retail core of Boise. The four-square-block
northern sector contains a heart that is still pumping. It is the so-called 100 per cent
area. In its present condition the southern four-square-block sector has no tomorrow.
Improve Existing Structures
Treatment in the northern sector should be concentrated on improvement of
existing structures, with redevelopment for new parking and retail uses concentrated
in the southern sector.
This parking would tie in with the parking proposed for Action Area A. These
large parking areas would be located in a convenient relationship to the couplet and
Capitol Boulevard, both major access routes to central Boise. By clearance of de­teriorated
structures which now block Downtown, the retail district would be opened to
22
view by the approaching motorist in somewhat the same manner as a suburban shopping
center.
Furthermore, retail construction in the southern sector of Action Area B would
give a bright new image to Downtown Boise. Such a site should provide attractive
investment opportunities as a showcase location for a major retail outlet.
ACTION AREA C - This area is bounded by the railroad tracks, 4th Street,
Bannock Street and 6th Street. Currently, this is an eight- square-block area of wasted
land. The location close to the Capitol and the retail core creates incentives for new
uses that are frustrated by much of the present development which was geared to the
needs of another era.
Upgrade Land Use
In this area there are opportunities to continue the uses bordering the east side
of Capitol Boulevard, to upgrade land use, to gain frontage on the ring road, to gain
exposure to the new Capitol Boulevard and to redirect easterly traffic closer to the
couplet.
Above all else, however, this area provides the important opportunity to create
a superblock as a site for a convention and cultural center. Within this area also,
sites could be acquired for new city government buildings and the State Historical
Museum.
ACTION AREA D- This area is bounded by Bannock Street, 4th Street, Washington
Street and 8th Street. Bordering the state Capitol and including the County Building, this
is the logical. area for expansion of state and county governmental offices.
Concentrate Government Offices
Concentration of governmental offices in this area will support the vitality of the
retail district and encourage productive contacts between the various agencies and
levels of government.
SURROUNDING AREA-Beyond these four action areas lies the remainder of the
core as defined at the beginning of this section. Planning control in this peripheral
sector will encourage a high level of quality in the private development that will be
stimulated in the remainder of the core by new construction in the action areas.
This then is a program which the panel considers practical for central Boise -
four action areas within a defined core. If carried out in full, the program will create
23
a new setting for the Capitol of Idaho and a new economic strength for Idaho's Capital
City.
Flexible Plan
While the plan provides for flexibility, it is cohesive. There are no gaps, or
potential islands of blight, between action areas. The fringe is protected by planning
control. Redevelopment proposals are geared both to removal of blight and site acqui­sition
for new uses. The entire program seeks to create mutually beneficial interaction
between land uses - so that the offices reinforce the retail market and the convention
center is related to hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities, for example.
The plan can be carried out in stages. It is flexible in the order or timing of
projects, yet complete in concept.
Judicious Use of Public Power
Basic to the program, of course, is the judicious use of public power for the
public good. The right of eminent domain will undoubtedly have to be exercised in the
redevelopment program. Land must be assembled into larger blocks to create the
more effective and economic land use pattern recommended here. However, it should be
emphasized that the panel is not proposing a massive bulldozer project but rather a
practical program of selective clearance, redevelopment and rehabilitation to remove
blight and build a better Boise.
24
CONVENTION CENTER-AN ECONOMIC SPARKPLUG
A convention center should be the sparkplug which transmits new energy to the
economic engine of Boise.
Located in the heart of the community within a short walk of the Capitol, hotels,
restaurants and shops, the new center will add immeasurably to the vitality of the
core. The panel considers this a high priority project.
As a convention center, it will attract state and regional meetings to Boise which
now go elsewhere for lack of adequate facilities. This will not only bring new dollars
in the community, it will serve to promote the advantages of Boise throughout a broad
region.
New Dimension of Quality
Equally important, however, will be the center's role in the cultural life of Boise.
It will provide the auditorium for concerts, plays, musical productions, lectures and
other attractions, in addition to meetings and conventions - thereby adding a new
dimension of quality to Boise living.
The panel believes a location in Action Area C would be appropriate for the
center. It is recommended that a site of approximately 15 acres be acquired.
Facilities which could well adjoin the convention center would include the new
library, city hall, police department, and other public uses. These facilities could be
constructed in stages according to need and financing capacity.
The State Historical Museum, which seems assured of being built in the next
few years, also belongs in Action Area C. However, the convention center should be
designed and placed as the dominant structure in this new complex of buildings.
The convention center should be in prominent view of Capitol Boulevard in order to
achieve maximum visitor impact.
The panel does not believe that a sports arena would add to the convention and
cultural center complex. Sports events in this downtown location would not be compatible
with other activities in the area and would not provide significant new business for
Downtown. If a sports arena is shown to be needed on further study, the panel believes
the developing Boise College complex should be given serious consideration as a site.
25
I =
This would allow for dual use of the facility - by the college and the community
at large.
2,500-Seat Auditorium
The convention and cultural center should contain an auditorium with approxi­mately
2,500 fixed seats; a large, level floor area for exhibits; meeting rooms and
public facilities. The auditorium should be designed to high acoustic standards for
musical performances.
The suggested inclusion of an area for display of art work would certainly enhance
the beauty of the convention center.
In reviewing early design concepts for the center, the panel concluded that
opportunities exist for economies which would not interfere with functional convenience.
During the planning period, it would be useful for a team from the Architects, Engi­neers
and Planners Task Force to visit at least four other cities with comparable needs
where convention and cultural centers have been built in recent years. These cities
might well include Bakersfield, San Diego, Portland and Spokane.
The question of abandoning streets within the cultural center area was con­sidered
by the panel in the light of the effect this might be expected to have on other
streets. Suggestions for tunneling the street under the convention center were con­sidered.
It was the panel's conclusion that efforts to continue traffic under or over
the center would adversely affect the cost, unnecessarily complicate the plan, and
as a consequence, would be impractical.
It is recommended that street closings be kept to a minimum. However, it
should be obvious that the magnitude of the project will require some limited street
closing. The impact of necessary street closings should be carefully studied in order
to establish the least disruptive alternate routes for this traffic.
The auditorium and convention center should be planned to include surface
parking to serve the center. If part of the site is designated for later construction of
City buildings, the parking could be decked to maintain needed capacity.
Bond Issue
Construction of the convention and cultural center will depend upon successful
passage of a bond issue proposal. The panel believes that this project will achieve
broad public support if it is made clear that the convention and cultural center will
26
. ,
play a vital role in community life. It will contribute to the prosperity of the central
core area, stimulate construction and upgrading of hotel and motel facilities and give
residents of the Boise area a new sense of community identity.
The panel believes that the City through the Boise Redevelopment Agency should
seek federal cooperation under the urban renewal program to acquire the site for the
convention center as well as the remainder of the complex. Major redevelopment in
a congested city area with a multiplicity of property owners is almost impossible
without the power of eminent domain. Furthermore, the panel sees no reason why Boise
should not take advantage of the assistance which is being used by other cities throughout
the country.
Financing construction of the center will be a local responsibility. However, the
possibility of gaining some participation by people who benefit from the center but do
not live in the city should be investigated. The convention and cultural center will
serve a much larger area than the City of Boise. Some effort should be made to influence
residents outside the city limits to participate in the financing, either through an
expanded auditorium district or a lease-purchase plan, if the lease-purchase arrange­ment
proves to be a legal procedure in Idaho.
Governmental Office Complex
Adjacent to the area under consideration for the convention and cultural center
as well as other facilities, is Action Area D which has been proposed for expansion of
governmental offices as needs arise. The panel believes that a definite plan should
be made for this area and agreed upon by the different levels of government involved.
Official coordination is needed between city, county and state planning agencies
to achieve optimum use of this area as a governmental complex. It is possible that
some facilities might be developed jointly by the different levels of government and
shared with resulting economies. Cooperative planning and consultation between the
various levels of government should extend to any governmental buildings proposed
for the Capitol district.
Planning for new governmental offices should take into consideration the impact
upon the private market of removing tenants from tax paying buildings. In general,
however, the panel believes that both office occupancy and retail sales will be stimulated
by the proposed development programs.
The panel believes that the idea of a mall to connect the new federal building
with the proposed governmental area is impractical. It would be too disruptive of
existing property and too costly in proportion to the hoped for benefits.
27
It is recognized that the governmental area is best suited for executive and
administrative buildings. Certain specialized types of government buildings, such
as the State Highway Department, are better located away from Downtown.
The convention and cultural center will blend well with the gradually developing
office complex to enhance further the Capitol district and anchor the administrative,
entertainment, visitor and retail services in the central core.
New Buses Needed
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TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING
One of the most important objectives of any workable central core plan must
be to develop a traffic pattern that will make it easier to come downtown with reasonable
speed and a minimum of traffic delay.
The panel is concerned with traffic flow in a central business district. Boise
is fortunate in having a street pattern that encourages real mobility. The proposed
ring road (Front, 6th, State and 8th) will stimulate other improvements in the core area.
Shoppers will come Downtown if they can get there easily and not be faced upon arrival
with long lines of cars and choked streets. In the panel's opinion, the ring road will
move traffic.
A further improvement in traffic can be achieved by establishing an easterly
connection to the couplet at 5th Street. The combination of a ring road and an eastward
connector to the couplet would ease traffic flow considerably.
Alternate Route
Nevertheless, as the City grows there will be increasing pressure on downtown
streets if the central core is developed to the extent proposed by the Boise Planning
and Development Committee. For this reason, an alternate route should be developed
to move traffic around Downtown. This could be a road along the river tied in with a
green belt which would further enhance Boise's excellent park system. Such a road
would materially relieve traffic on the couplet and other downtown streets. The panel
considers it essential to make plans for such an alternate route.
A primary step in downtown improvement is to provide for easy auto access to
the center. Adequate parking in the downtown area is the next important consideration.
The panel believes that the additional parking suggested for Action Area A, B and C
will meet foreseeable future demand.
The panel suggests maximum reliance upon grade-level, off-street parking in
Boise. If the parking areas are reasonably large they will appeal more to the woman
shopper than multi-story garages.
In the event that City-owned parking lots or garages result from the renewal
program, the panel agrees that wherever possible these facilities should be offered
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for lease to private operators on a competitive bid basis. In many cities, the revenue
from these sources is allocated to development of additional parking facilities.
Street Parking
At present there appears to be no need for a general prohibition of street parking.
Boise streets are wide and one way. The panel is interested in making a trip Downtown
as easy and convenient as possible. If traffic can be moved without obstruction, there
is no need to take parking off the streets. As traffic increases this may become neces­sary
in certain locations later.
If more parking is needed as the program develops, parking decks may be
required. However, the panel would advise against construction of combination store­and-
garage structures. Experience indicates that these do not work out well. Such
buildings are difficult to design to suit the various tenants. As a result, they are
hard to rent.
The panel recommends that any parking structures which are built in Boise be
limited to two stories with roof parking. Open parking similar to that found in shopping
centers should be the objective.
Public Transportation
Admittedly, most Americans rely upon the private automobile. However, in Boise,
as in other cities, there are many people who must depend upon public transportation.
Recent surveys indicate that approximately 500,000 passenger trips are made each
year aboard the buses in Boise. They are made despite the fact that equipment is
completely obsolete. These half million trips are made by adult shoppers, office
workers and children. There is no question among the panel members that mass
transportation is necessary in Boise. It is imperative for the economic health of the
central business district and the entire City.
Following a technical study of the potential user demand for modern, public
transportation in Boise, action should be taken to establish the bus system on a perma­nent
basis that will enable improvement in facilities and services.
The combination of street improvements, parking and modern public transportation
outlined here should provide the vital element of accessibility in the central core plan.
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RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN
The first thing a doctor does when he examines a new patient is take the patient's
temperature. The panel did this in the case of the patient known as Boise.
First reading was normal but further examination revealed trouble spots. The
retail core appeared healthy on the surface but close investigation disclosed potential
illness that could prove fatal.
This illness took the form of functional obsolescence, structural deterioration,
potential clogging of the arteries and general lack of vigor. However, the panel con­cluded
that sufficient strength exists to make a confident prognosis of full recovery
following a combination of limited surgery and continued restorative treatment.
Wide Merchandise Selection
On the plus side, the panel observed some modern stores and a number of
strong local merchants. These are the lifeblood of a retail community. Wide selections
of merchandise with particularly impressive apparel presentations were observed.
This is important in keeping retail sales in Boise, rather than allowing them to escape
to larger centers.
The panel was impressed with the excellent media for promotion which exist in
Boise. Local newspapers, television and radio provide a broad range of outlets for
the Boise advertiser. This is exceedingly important - as was so dramatically demon­strated
when retail sales plummeted during the newspaper strikes in Portland and
New York.
An important tonic for Boise's retail section will be supplied by the new audi­torium
and convention center. There is no question that the convention center will
increase the volume of retail sales in Boise.
In Seattle where a strong convention promotion program is carried out con­tinuously,
it is estimated that one person staying one day at a convention will spend
$48. Multiplied by thousands of visitors each year, this figure makes an important
contribution to the retail core of Seattle. Although the daily dollar figure probably
would be different for Boise, the favorable impact upon the core area would be equally
significant.
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Further concentration of government and other offices in the core area will
greatly strengthen the retail market as well. Merchandising efforts should be directed
to the office employees who come Downtown every day and can shop during their
lunch hours or after work.
Space for Expansion
Redeveloping a portion of the existing retail sector will remove blight. Equally
important, however, is the fact that redevelopment will provide space for retail
expansion in modern facilities comparable to those offered in outlying shopping centers.
Existing merchants will be given an opportunity to increase the size of their operations.
Space will be provided to attract new merchants who will strengthen the retail core.
Boise is fortunate that there are no regional shopping centers threatening the
Downtown district now. This means the improvement program can be undertaken
while there is still time to stem the tide of decentralization that has engulfed other
downtown areas which failed to modernize.
In upgrading the retail core of Downtown Boise, merchants and property owners
should take a page from the book of regional shopping center developers and operators.
Every effort should be made to enable key tenants to enlarge their stores and
to provide a wider selection of merchandise. This will attract customers Downtown and
benefit other merchants. A 200,000-square-foot store will have more growing power
than a 100,000-square-foot store. The merchant with 100,000 square feet who wants
to double his space will move to the suburbs if he cannot acquire that space com­petitively
in a desirable location Downtown.
Never Stop Modernizing
The regional shopping center never stops modernizing. Boise's Downtown
merchants can learn an important lesson from the constant, controlled program of
sign improvement which is carried out in a shopping center - with the individual
signs designed on a coordinated basis.
One means of gaining immediate, visible results from the Downtown improve­ment
program in Boise would be for the merchants of one block to get together and
install new signs based on a harmonious plan prepared by a design consultant. In
addition to removing the clutter of signs which jut out over the sidewalk blocking each
other from view, the new signs could be placed on a facing that would cover poorly
32
maintained building fronts and pull the jumbled impression of the existing block
together into a unified whole - as in a regional shopping center. A somewhat similar
program was carried out in Watertown, New York, under the leadership of the Greater
Watertown Chamber of Commerce.
Downtown becomes a day older every day. If a consistent modernization program
is not carried out on a continuing basis, the time will come when it will be too late
to modernize. The retail core will cease to exist. In Boise there is no market for
replacement of this land use.
Merchants should give full support to the program for expansion of Downtown
parking facilities as well as mass transportation. A regional shopping center lives
on parking. Downtown must provide convenient parking in quantity at low rates to
maintain retail strength in the face of potential regional shopping center development
or the gradual siphoning off of business by outlying centers which, though not regional,
offer convenient parking and other attractions.
Form Merchants Association
The most important action which can be taken by the merchants of Boise to
strengthen Downtown is the formation of a strong merchants association to coordinate
the merchandising effort in the core area. This association should carry on concen­trated
promotions similar to those which have been so successful in shopping centers.
Dollar Days, Value Days and Back-to-School promotions, Spring Fashion Pre­views
and Downtown Nights are typical events. Group promotion and group advertising
are among the major secrets of shopping center success. Downtown Boise can remain
the major regional shopping center of the community by combining consistent promo­tion
on a group basis with the other actions proposed in the core area development
program.
Such a program will encourage existing merchants to stay Downtown and attract
new merchants to strengthen the retail center. However, group action requires work
and money.
The budget for a merchants association in a major regional shopping center
runs over $100,000 a year. In addition, the retailers in such a center spend hundreds
of thousands advertising their individual stores. Much of this money is spent in
group promotions - all of the merchants doing the same thing at the same time to
increase customer impact.
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A merchants association in Boise will require a full time staff with a top level
director who can bring the retailers together in the promotional effort. The director
will be interested in the association rather than any one store. He will be responsible
for preparation of the required promotional materials and organizing the program.
Together with leading backers of the organization he will be responsible for raising
the money to carry out a major promotional campaign.
Downtown Mall?
The panel has been asked to consider the proposal for a mall in the retail core
area of Boise. At the present time, there does not appear to be any compelling reason
to close traffic off from the heart of the retail section. The panel is concerned that
the necessary street closing would cause congestion on perimeter streets and create
a psychological barrier to the shopper who is used to being able to drive in the
center of the area.
A mall is not the solution to Downtown problems in Boise. At a future stage
in the development of the improvement program, it might be considered. At this point,
however, a mall might prove disappointing for it cannot be expected to revive Downtown
alone. The redevelopment of land for parking and new retail construction combined
with the street improvements, convention center and new office complex are the really
vital elements of the plan. Without these, the mall might even have a negative effect.
Summarizing the panel's examination of the retail core, it is concluded that
Boise is in a favorable position to undertake an improvement program that will rein­force
Downtown's position as the dominant retail center in the region. The strong
existing core area has not yet been faced with regional centers to divide the market.
The revitalization program will place Downtown in a better competitive position.
Major needs in the retail area are larger stores, modernization and promotion.
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NEW DOLLARS FOR BOISE- THE VISITOR INDUSTRY
Boise's potential as a visitor center - with resulting economic benefits to the
community - is far greater than many people realize.
The panel believes that development of tourist trade is one of the most productive
fields of economic activity open to the City. However, seed money for an intensive
promotional campaign will have to be invested in order to make Boise better known to
the travel hungry American family.
Boiseans recognize the obvious benefits to be derived from visitors who will
attend meetings at the convention center. These people will bring in new dollars. This
is true of the visitor industry as well. Tourist dollars are the same type of dollars.
They come from outside but remain to circulate in the community for a long time.
With growing affluence, pleasure travel has become feasible for the average
citizen. Today's family is a vacationing family. Longer vacations and more money
to spend encourage the endless search for new and interesting places to explore.
Tourist Appeal
Boise has a wealth of tourist appeal as the gateway to a tremendous recreational
area. Fishing, hunting, skiing, boating and just plain sightseeing are at the City's
doorstep. Promotion of Boise as a vacation playland will bring new dollars to hotels,
motels, restaurants, retail stores and the entire economy of the City.
The panel recommends establishment of an annual tourist event to spotlight the
assets of Boise and draw visitors from throughout the west. Examples of successful
tourist events which have contributed significantly to the cities where they have been
held annually for many years are the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the St. Paul Winter
Carnival, the Portland Rose Festival and the Seattle Sea Fair. These are big cities
with big promotions.
However, highly successful events have been scaled to smaller cities with
excellent results. Examples include the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival, the
Pendleton Roundup and the Shakespeare Festival at Ashland, Oregon.
Most of these festivals and events did not always exist. They were brought
into being by civic and business leaders who were conscious of the role these events
35
could play in introducing their areas to the traveling public. Not one of these cities
would allow the event to fall by the wayside.
The panel recommends that a civic organization be established in cooperation
with the Chamber of Commerce to plan, promote and direct the program for an annual
tourist event in Boise as part of an accelerated program of visitor promotion. The
organization would establish the theme and dates for a festival. It would be responsible
for executing the program, once established, on a continuing basis.
As a result, tourist dollars will be brought to Boise; people who came to look
will come to stay; new industries will be created; and new investments will be made by
people who first discovered Boise as visitors.
Second Home Market
In a related area, today's real estate developer is becoming increasingly conscious
of a new force in the market - the second home. Not many years ago, the second car
was a family status symbol. More and more, today's goal seems to be the second home.
People who live in Arizona, Southern California and similar regions want to
escape from those hot climates at certain times of year. Many people have the desire
and the money to establish a second home. For the outdoors man and his family, the
panel can think of no finer place for a second home than the area surrounding Boise.
These people can be brought here first as tourists. Later they may become
tax-paying residents, if only for part of the year. This is another potential side benefit
of developing an active visitor promotion program.
The panel is convinced that tourism can become the growth industry of Boise.
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BOISE COLLEGE - KEY FACTOR
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Boise College can become a key factor in economic development of the community.
The need for educational facilities is increasing in all areas.
In considering the potential role of the College in Boise, it is well to review
current prospects for development of the local economy.
The government and service categories are basic to Boise's economic base.
These will increase with population growth. The wholesale and distribution industries
will grow also with the population of the broad region served by Boise. Additional
warehousing will be needed to support these industries.
The panel agrees that industrial development opportunities in Boise will be
concentrated on the processing and refinement of natural resources available nearby -
forest, mineral and agricultural products.
Most interesting opportunities exist for reclamation of additional land through
improved pumping facilities and irrigation districts. These will increase the quantity
and diversity of products grown.
The industrial park which has been established in Boise provides a reserve of
well located, protected land for new industry.
Invest in Higher Education
Nevertheless, something more is needed to stimulate well rounded economic
progress. It is the panel's opinion that expansion of higher educational facilities could
be the most important step to be taken in the building of new long range growth oppor­tunities.
Development of Boise, Ada County and the State of Idaho can be accelerated
by investment in education.
The panel recommends rapid development of Boise College into a University
with graduate schools of agriculture, business, engineering, forestry, law and medicine.
Idaho is rich in agricultural and forest products. An engineering school will
develop a cadre of leaders who can train or retrain workers in order to develop the
skilled labor pool so necessary to encourage the growth of light industry in Boise.
Boise is the largest city in Idaho. It is the logical location for a new medical
center with a teaching hospital and research facilities.
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As the Capital of Idaho and home of the State Supreme Court, Boise is a prime
location for a law school. Young men and women aspiring to the bar would be exposed
to the senior court and legislature as part of their training in law and government.
Economic Impact
What effect will the development of a multi-school university have on the economy
of Boise? In our opinion the University itself will be an expanding economic activity
with a growing faculty and student body. Beyond this, however, will be the secondary
effects. A university stimulates other activities.
Existence of the university could well improve Boise's chance of attracting some
of the glamour industries such as electronics, plastics and chemicals. It would encourage
the location of food processing research and development facilities in the Idaho Capital.
Managerial and technical personnel of these industries favor university communities
where they can make use of research facilities associated with the university and
enjoy productive contacts with the faculty.
Site Studies Needed
Studies should be undertaken to determine the most advantageous locations in the
community for the principal graduate centers. Consideration should be given to
locating the medical school in the vicinity of a hospital complex. Locations in the
Capitol district should be considered for the law school. The existing College site
might well accommodate the schools of engineering, business and the arts.
The schools of agriculture and forestry would undoubtedly seek sites on the
periphery of the City or in the county where an experimental farm could be developed
for practical teaching and experimentation.
The panel is aware of existing universities in Idaho and nearby states. However,
the growing population of the west combined with the increasing emphasis on specialized
graduate education indicates a need for additional facilities in the broad region. It is
the opinion of the panel that Boise should take advantage of this opportunity. Expansion
of Boise College into a university will broaden the educational, research and industrial
base of the Capital City.
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i
FINANCING COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT
A long range capital improvement program is the necessary first step in imple­menting
the community development plan. Completion of the workable program for
community improvement also is required for renewal assistance. Piecemeal action
on a case by case basis will not work.
Comprehensive financial planning is as important as comprehensive land use,
design and program planning. Now that a professional Planning Department has been
established in the City government, it should be possible to take an objective look
at capital improvement needs.
The first step toward financing the ambitious community development program
contemplated in Boise should be a complete enumeration of capital improvement needs
for at least the next five years by the Planning Department. Each proposed improvement
should be accompanied by an estimated price tag.
Fiscal Survey
At the same time, a fiscal survey should be conducted to determine the range
of public funding resources. The various proposed capital improvements should be
grouped according to the applicable type of financing, such as general obligation bonds,
revenue bonds and special assessments.
It will then be possible to determine the capacity of the community to carry out
the program within a reasonable period. On this basis, priorities can be established.
The panel recognizes that the long term, conservative fiscal policies of Boise's
leaders have kept the City almost debt free as far as general obligation bonds are
concerned. This places the City in a favorable position to make judicious use of
long term credit for general obligation bond financing to meet the critical needs of a
development period. The City should begin now to invest in the creation of growth
opportunities. Local financing may be supplemented by federal grants.
The convention and cultural center is a high priority item. Immediate steps
should be taken leading toward a bond proposal. As recommended earlier, efforts
should be made to work out a means of financing that will allow for participation by
those who live outside the City but stand to benefit from the center.
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Federal cooperation under the urban renewal program should be sought to
implement the redevelopment of blighted areas in the central core.
Under the redevelopment agency which has been established in Boise, federal
urban renewal assistance will become available for use in land acquisition for the
Capitol Boulevard, retail core and convention-cultural center projects. Local expendi­tures
for some public improvements in the area may be credited against Boise's share
of renewal project costs. This will enable the City to gain multiple benefits from these
expenditures.
The City may wish to consider issuance of revenue bonds to finance the extensive
new parking facilities proposed in the core area.
Private Investment
In planning the program, it should be remembered that major financing will come
from private investment in the central business district. The public financing of capital
improvements is seed money to attract new private investment in Downtown Boise.
It is time for the City to draw up a long range capital improvement program that
will cover needs, priorities and financial resources. Only in this way can the Boise
development program be carried forward on an orderly basis.
The City should be prepared to increase bonded indebtedness significantly as an
investment in community development. The prudent management of city finances in
past years enables this action to be taken with ease and confidence.
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GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Continuous planning and guidance will be required as the community development
program moves forward.
The highly effective leadership network which has been created through the
Boise Planning and Development Committee must not be allowed to disintegrate when
a plan is accepted.
The action phase of the program perhaps even more than the planning phase
will demand continued direct involvement of Boise's civic, business and governmental
leadership. The Boise Redevelopment Agency is responsible for implementing many
of the proposed action programs. The Agency will need continued guidance and support
from the community's business leaders and citizens.
Although existing and newly created agencies will undertake responsibility for
different aspects of the development program, it will be absolutely essential to maintain
a top level forum in which general problems can be solved at every step along the road.
In this way the necessary coordination can be achieved by community decision makers
who will continue to give needed leadership to the program.
The panel recommends that the Boise Planning and Development Committee be
placed on a permanent basis to function as a citizen leadership and advisory organiza­tion
in planning community improvement activities.
Not for Central Boise Alone
The development program is not intended for central Boise alone. It is a program
to strengthen the whole community. In attempting to take a broad view of Boise's
development problems and opportunities, the panel wishes to caution against the growth
of a narrowly competitive spirit in city-county relations. This has hampered the progress
of other communities and if allowed to develop, could be detrimental to Boise.
It is in the best interests of both the city and the county to develop a strong Boise
community. The panel believes that one of the best ways to assure mutual understanding
of inter- jurisdictional growth problems in urban areas is regional planning.
The need for cooperation between the City of Boise and Ada County is high­lighted
by the fact that the City's power to annex is limited to land already subdivided.
41
This means that the planning must be done after the development pattern has been
frozen. This precludes comprehensive land use planning for the long range growth
of Boise.
Without a regional planning mechanism, both the city and county are limited
in their ability to consider common problems which require common solutions -
problems such as flood control, water conservation, sewerage, highways and taxation
policy.
Regional Planning Proposed
The panel believes that a regional planning program should be established with
city-county cooperation so that annexation may be timed in coordination with a capital
improvements schedule to provide urban services in developing areas.
This could be implemented through creation of a regional planning commission
charged with the responsibility for development of a regional master plan that will give
due consideration to all problems of joint concern.
A key factor in carrying out the central core development program will be the
newly established Boise Redevelopment Agency. The panel believes this agency should
operate in closest coordination with the City's Department of Planning and the business
leadership of the community.
Detailed project planning and execution will be the Redevelopment Agency's
responsibility. However, the larger planning problems such as selection of areas for
development and long range programming of renewal action should be handled by the
City's Department of Planning which is responsible to the Mayor and Council. The
Boise Planning and Development Committee should act in an advisory capacity to all
public and private agencies concerned with the development program.
Finally, the panel believes that continuing public information activity to assure
citizen understanding of the goals and techniques of community development action
is vital in guiding the program.
Time To Act
The time for action is now. Boise has the leadership. No better opportunity ever
will exist for the community to take steps which will develop its full economic potential
as Capital of Idaho and center of an important trade area.
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About the Urban Land Institute
Founded in 1936, the Urban Land Institute is an independent, nonprofit
research organization which has played a key role in developing successful
techniques for the building and rebuilding of American cities.
Members of ULI include land developers, builders, architects, city planners,
investors, planning and renewal agencies, financing institutions and a wide
range of others with a professional interest in urban space.
Each of the Institute's three Councils-Central City, Community Builders
and Industrial-is headed by an Executive Group of 25 leaders with national
experience. These authorities are available to serve on panels which study
specific problems in renewal and development.
Through publications, conferences and research projects, the Institute pro­vides
a clearinghouse of practical information on urban land use. Publications
include the monthly Urban Land which covers news and trends in city develop­ment,
Technical Bulletins and Research Monographs. ULI's three Councils
conduct frequent conferences.
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